Putting the Wow Back Into Communities

By Chris Cody, Katy Harris, and Sue Wilson

We’ve all had plenty of time to get in touch with ourselves over the past year, often with sadly few other people to get in touch with. Online dance and fi tness classes have been there for people to stay connected and keep themselves physically fi t at the same time. So, before going any further can we fi rst raise a toast to all of you involved – thanks for keeping us moving! It has been vital for us all to feel as connected as possible with others during this time even if virtually. Connection is a fantastic word with so many meanings – we can be connected to others, ourselves, the community and nature. Our physical and mental wellbeing are also connected (not really news to most of you I’m sure) - the upright, confi dent posture of the dancer in motion is a mental state as well as a physical state. Looking the part can help you feel the part.

Moving slowly back out into social situations in-person may bring with it complications for many of us. Social anxiety has been something many have been dealing with (admirably) even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Added to all the pre-existing rules of socializing and group etiquette we now have safety precautions designed to keep us apart whilst we are together. These are an unfortunate necessity but may promote a feeling of necessary hiding for some. SOSA & Starlets CIC WOW want to see YOU though! So, here’s what we plan to do about it….

We value the importance of staying physically, mentally, and emotionally well. There are many ways to do this, and it can be quite an individual process. Therefore, it is that individual’s self-identity that our groups speak to.

WOW is Working Out Wellbeing – we have tips and tricks that work for us and anyone attending one of our sessions will have their own coping strategies and through a process of sharing we’ll try to work it out – and WOW because we think you’re amazing and are so grateful you’ve come to join us! The talking part of our sessions use the 5 Ways to Wellbeing as a focus for the conversation: Connect, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Be Active. We try to relate them to you, who you are, and who you want to be. The dancer in you is then invited to come out and hit the fl oor! Always with a mind towards accessibility and embodiment, we take a situation that we commonly fi nd anxious and put it to dance. The ‘social distance shuffl e’ is aimed at raising a few smiles and hopes to put steps to some of our daily routines, for example. Having warmed-up and relaxed by trying not to take ourselves too seriously within a safe space, we practice a few pre-choreographed routines from the superb SOSA Dance Fitness catalogue (with many styles and genres) adapted for your level. No-one is expected to sizzle from the start, but if we’re smiling and having fun, we guarantee you’ll look fabulous!

Taking time to cool down at the end of the session we can revisit some of the ideas about your self-beliefs. Maybe some of you have just tried some new moves; a thing you may never have pictured yourself doing. Believing you can is one of the foundations for achieving a sense of wellbeing. Show us what you can do and who you are, then, maybe, you’ll feel more prepared to show your community and everyone else that you have, in fact, got this!